Weeping doll



June 5, 1956 F. STECKER 2,748,530

WEEPING DOLL Filed Dec. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FRED STECKE R AT T ORNEYQ June 5, 1956 F. STECKER 2,748,530

WEIEPING DOLL Filed Dec. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II I INVENTOR. FRED STE CK E R ATTORNEYS and WEEPING DOLL atet Fred Stecker, Richmond Hill, N. Y., assignor to Ideal Toy My invention relates to a doll-head for a doll which emits imitation tears. This doll is designated as a weeping doll.

It has been proposed, as in French Patent No. 819,329, to provide a weeping doll which has a head from which imitation tears can be expelled.

According to this invention, a superior weeping doll is provided, which has a minimum number of parts, and which can be manufactured and assembled at low cost.

All the parts of the hollow head, including its internal parts, may be rigid, in order to provide accurate manuiacture and fitting of these rigid parts, and minimum cost of manufacture and minimum cost of assembly.

Whenever a rigid part is mentioned, such rigid part may be made of any rigid material, such as vinyl plastic or vinyl resin which is rigid in the cured or set condition.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the head of the doll is rigid, and said head is made originally of a front half and a rear half, by separately molding each half from vinyl plastic or resin which is rigid in the final cured or set condition. These half-heads can be fixed to each other along a lateral junction line, by adhesive or any conventional means.

The front wall of the front half of the head has the usual eye openings, in which the doll-eyes may be located. Said front wall also has additional tear-emitting openings which are close to said eye-openings, and a mouth opening.

At its inner face, said front wall of said front half of the head, is molded integrally with a rigid and a transverse and inwardly extending casing-wall, which is open at its inner edge, in original molded shape. extends around said tear-emitting openings. The inner end of said casing-wall is provided with a cover which has an opening through which liquid can be forced. When liquid is thus forced through said cover-opening, said liquid flows through the chamber of said covered casing and through said tear-emitting openings to the outer surface of the front wall of the front half of the head- Said casing-wall and its cover thus provide a casing for tearemitting liquid which is sealed, save at the inlet opening in said cover and at the outlet tear-emitting openings. This makes it unnecessary to provide the tear-emitting openings with pipes.

Said cover of said casing is rigid and is a part of a rigid arm which is integral with a rigid sleeve. Said cover, arm and sleeve can be molded integrally from vinyl plastic or resin which is rigid in the cured or set condition.

A rigid hollow reservoir-housing is located in the assembled hollow head. This rigid reservoir-housing has an air-inlet which is optionally controlled by a one-way inlet valve which is biased to closing position. This valve may be omitted. This housing is integrally molded with a rigid inlet or filling pipe for admitting liquid into said housing and a rigid outlet pipe on which the rigid sleeve of said cover is mounted, so that if liquid is located in said housing, and said liquid is subjected to pressure in said housing, said liquid is forced out of said housing,

Said casing-wall the tear-emitting holes in said casing. This housing com- I 2,748,530 Patented June 5, 1956 prises a rigid hollow body and a rigid end-plate, which can be molded separately from said vinyl plastic and thenfixed to each other to provide a sealing joint. Said endplate has said inlet opening, an external air-admission nip ple, and an internal hollow cylinder in which the optional one-way air-inlet valve may be located. Air can be forced into said housing through said air-inlet, by any means, in order to force the liquid from said hollow housing through the tear-emitting openings.

At the mouth-opening, the front half of the head has an internal and integrally molded and rigid transverse sleeve which is connected to the inlet or filling pipe of said housing. Liquid can be forced through said mouth-sleeve and said filling pipe into said housing, in order to fill said housing or to replenish the supply of liquid in said housing. Said mouth-sleeve has a one-way valve or check-valve which is biased to closing position by the pressure of the liquid when the doll is in normal upright vertical position. Hence, when the doll is in normal upright vertical position, and pressure is exerted on the liquid in the hollow housing, said liquid can escape only through the tear-emitting openings.

When the doll is in normal upright vertical position, said liquid fills said mouth-sleeve, to keep the mouthcheck-valve in closing position.

When the doll is placed horizontally on its back in filling position, gravity shifts the mouth-check-valve from its closing position to its open position, so that replenishing liquid can be admitted through the mouth opening and the inlet or filling pipe of the housing, into said housing.

Whenever a rigid part is mentioned, said part may be optionally flexible and resilient and have a normal shape.

Numerous other objects and features and advantages of the invention are described in the annexed description and drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially in transverse vertical section, ofthe head of the doll and of a part of the assembled body of the doll. The head and body are shown in normal vertical upright position.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, in a transverse plane.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively sections on the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a detail view, partially in section, which illustrates the unseated position of the mouth-control valve, when the doll is placed in horizontal position on its back.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view, partially in sec-- tion, of certain of the interior parts of the doll.

The drawings are substantially to scale. The front half and the rear half of the head H are originally separately molded. These halves are fixed to each other, as in the final assembly operation, along the lateral junction line 6. This can be done by adhesive or other conventional means.

The body 1 of the doll may be resilient and flexible having the normal shape shown in Fig. 'l. A ring 2 which may be molded integrally with body 1, has a sleeve 3. A pipe 4 has at its upper end an air-tight joint with an air-inlet nipple 7. Pipe 4 fits air tightly in sleeve 3 and extends there-beyond into the hollow body 1. The front wall of the front half of the head H has eye-openings 5, tear-emitting openings 24 and 24a, and a mouthopening 17.

The front half of the head is molded integrally with a rigid and transverse inner casing-wall 22a of a casing 23, which has a chamber'or space 23a. As shown in Fig. 8, said casing wall 22a has a portion of part-cylindrical shape, and an angular portion. This casing-wall 22a is located around the tear-emitting openings 24 and 24a, which thus form outlet ports for the tear-emitting casing which 3 isprovided when said casing-wan 22a is provided with a perforated-cover, as later described.

As shown in Fig. 2, the front half of the head is also molded integrally, at mouth opening 17, with arigid and inner and transverse mouth-sleeve 25, which has a bore 191 As above noted, all the parts of the head H and in the head- H- may be rigid and this is highly preferred. However, these parts may be flexible and resilient and elastic a'nd'be kept by their resilience in selected normal shapes from which they can be beiit or stretched.

As shown in Fig.'2,-the bore 1 90f mouth-sleeve 25 has a valve-seat 18a. A one-way'rhouth valve'18, shown as a ball-valve, isloca'ted in bore 19.

As showndn Fig. 2, the-bore 1'9is kept filled witli liquid whenthe doll is'in normal, vertical, upright position, whichis the-position'shown in Figs, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Also, as later described, the liquid in bore 19, when the dollis" in said' normal position, communiates with a vertical column' of liquid in a housing 12; which is later described; 4 v p When'the doll is in' normal, vertical," upright position,

the pressure of the liquid in housing1 2' aiidibore 19 is sufiicient'to keep the mouth-check-valve 18against its seat'18a, in clos'ingpos'ition, sothatliquid cannotthen escape through mouth 17. I

When the doll is'placedin filling position, horizontally on its back," as'illustrated in Fig; 7, gravity shifts valve 18 to its open position, in which valve 18 abuts internal stop pins 20, which ar'e'molded integrally'with the cylindrical wall of bore 19. The pins 20 maybe omitted. When the doll is in'filling-position, the ball 18may about the upper end of pipe" 16," which is'shaped to provide clearancewitli ball 18, so that"liquid can fiowaround ball 18 into bore 16a.

The housing 12. consists of a rigid housing-body 12a anda rigid end-plate 8, which ar efixe'd to each other to provide a tight joint.

Plate Sis molded integrally with a hollow inner cylinder 14 and with an external nipple or coupling 7, which has an air-inlet bore 9, which communicates with hollow cylinder 14.

A one-way air-inlet valve 10, shown as'a ballvalve,

is optionally located in cylinder 14. Fig. 3 shows ballvalve in normal closing position, in which it abuts its seat 10a. The valve 10 is biased to said closing position by the helical compression spring 11. The valve 10 is always closed, except when excess pressure is applied in bore 9. As above noted, valve 10 and spring 11 may be omitted. v v

The housing-body 12a is molded integrally with an outlet pipe 15 which has a bore 15a, and also with the rigid inlet or filling pipe 16, having the filling bore 16a.

Said cylindrical inlet pipe 16 fits in bore 19 of mouthsleeve' 25, with a liquid-tight joint. befixed to the cylindrical bore 19 of-mouth-sleeve 25, bymeans of adhesive, or a tight friction fit, without adhesive, maybe used.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 8, a rigid sleeve 21 is mounted uponthe outer cylindrical-wail of the rigid outlet pipe 15,10 provide-a liquid-tight ioint therebetween which maybe provided by adhesive or by a. tight fit'without adhesive. in the assembly, the rigid sleeve 21- is optionally, but not necessarily, fixed in proper final position to outlet pipe 15. That is, when sleeve 21 is originally mounted on pipe 15, sleeve 21 may be turnable on pipe 15.

Said rigid sleeve 21 is molded integrally a rigid arm 22, which provides a cover for the casin g -wall 22a of casing 23. As shown in Fig. 6, said cover hasa bore Inlet pipe 16 may said bore 1515 As shown in Fig. 4, the transverse bores 16a and 15a have parallel axes, and said bores 16a and 15a have their parallel axes in almost the same horizontal plane, when the doll is in normal, upright, vertical position.

As previously noted, the bores 19 and 16a are coaxial. Hence when the doll is in normal, upright, vertical position, the bores 19 and, 16a have their axes substantially in a common horizontal plane, which is below the horizontal plane in which .th. Centers of openings 24a and 24 are located. The pipes 15 and 16 extend for-v wardly in front of I the front wall T of, housing 12 towards the inner face of the front half of head H, when the dollis in normal, upright, yertical position. v 7

When the doll is horizontally on vits back in filling position as shown" in' Fig. 7, the front wall T of housing 12 is then the top horizontal wall of housing 12, and the pipes 15 and 16 then extend upwardly relative to walliT, and the open ends of pipes 15 and 16 are then'their top ends, so',that air can then freely escape during the filling operation from housing 12 through pipe 15, bore 15a, casingand openings 24 and 24a.

In order to assemble thepar'ts, the parts of housing 12 are'first assembled as a sub-unit, with plate 8 fixed to the housing body 12a. v v p Thepiped isinserted through sleeve 3, and pipe 4 and nipple'7 are assembled. For ease of assembly, pipe 4 may be flexible. I v I The sleeve 21 isthen turnably mounted on pipe 15, and one end of sleeve 21 abuts stop 15b of pipe 15.

The neck of the cover-plate arrn 22 is inserted into chamber 23a of the casing-wall 22h. This may be done while sleeve 21 is turnably on pipe15, or after sleeve 21 has been fixed by adhesive in proper position on pipe 15.

Thefillihg pipe 16 is inserted into pipe 25, until the edge of pipe 25 abuts Wall T. v

These operations maybe performed in any convenient order; 1 t I The sleeve 21 may be finally fixed to pipe 15 by adhesiveand the neckbf'cover-plate-arm 22 can be finally fixed to the inner faceof casing wall 22a by adhesive and pipes 25 and 16 may be finally fixed to each other by adhesive. V

.The housing '12 is thus easily and securely fixed to the front'half of the head H. The 'rea'r half of head Hcan then be fixed to its front half, along the lateral junction line 6.

In order to'fill or refillhousing 12, the doll is placed horizontally on'its'back and liquid LEisv then filled into housing12 by forcing the Water or other liquid L through pipes 25 and16, either by gravity or, by means of any pressure device. The housing 12 may be. filled partially, or it may be wholly filledup to the innerlface of wall I which is then the top Wall of housing 12. ,This complete filling of housing 12 is preferred. Thebore 161i and bore 19 are also completely -filled. Thevalve 18 may bea float valve, so that it floats upwardlyto seal the mouth.

tube at the seat 18d, whenenoughliquid fills bore 1 9. While housing 12 is thus filled, air can freely escape from housing 12 through pipe 15, sleeve 21, through the space 23a or casing 23, and out of holes 24 and 241.

While housing 12 is thus filled wholly or partially, no

water or other fillingliquid'L can escape through. bore 9,

if valve lfiis used and it is kept closed by spring 11.

, If valve 10 is omitted, water can drip through the fine filledwith liquid L under pressure, thus keeping ball 18 in closing "positiomf When the' doll is turned from filling position to normal, upright, vertical position, there may be some leaking of water out of mouth opening 17, but this leakage is small.

When the doll is in vertical, normal, upright position, the liquid L cannot flow by gravity through pipe 15, sleeve 21 and casing 23, out of the openings 24 and 240, because the top of the liquid column in housing 12 is at the level of openings 24 and 24a, even if housing 12 is completely filled.

When the doll is in normal upright position and air under pressure is supplied to bore 9 under valve 10, if said valve is included, the valve It) is raised and the C01 pressed air can enter housing 12 around the valve 10, when it is raised slightly from its seat 10a, and while valve 10 remains in cylinder 24. If valve is omitted, the cylinder 14 is emptied as previously described, and the compressed air enters the air space at the top of the partially filled housing 12.

The elastic and resilient body 1 may be used like the bulb of a syringe, in order to supply compressed air to the interior space of housing 12.

For this purpose, the bottom of body 1 may have said fine drip openings, as is well-known in wetting dolls.

When the elastic and resilient body 1 is quickly compressed, the air in said body 1 is temporarily compressed and is forced through pipe 4 and bore 9, and past the temporarily raised valve 19, into housing 12, to force liquid L through holes 24 and 24a.

When the pressure on body 1 is released, said body 1 resumes its normal shape while air enters body 1 through its bottom opening, which serves both as a drip opening and an air inlet opening.

When the air in housing 12 is thus compressed, thus subjecting the liquid L to ejecting pressure through bores 24a and 24, said pressure on liquid L is transmitted through the body of liquid in bore 16a and bore 19, to keep valve 18 in its closing position.

If the cylinder 14 is omitted, or is made of small height, the use of valve 10 and spring 11 is preferred. Even if cylinder 14 is omitted, the valve 10 may be omitted.

When the housing 12 is partially filled, but the liquid L therein is above the tops of the housing-parts of pipes 15 and 16, a few compressions of elastic body 1 can supply the required ejecting air pressure. If body 1 has sockets to receive the arms and legs, said arms and legs fit substantially air-tight in said sockets.

The invention is broadly novel in providing a housing which is rigidly fixed to the hollow head by a rigid inlet pipe 16 and by a rigid outlet pipe 15, and in providing a casing around the openings 24 and 24a, thus eliminating separate pipe connections between the openings 24, 24a and the reservoir housing 12. In this embodiment, the wall of the casing 23 is molded integrally with the front half of head H, but the invention is not limited thereto, because said wall 22a could be molded integrally with arm 22 and the front edge of wall 22a could be fixed by adhesive to the inner face of the front half of head H.

I have thus described a preferred embodiment of my invention, but numerous changes, omissions and additions can be made Without departing from its scope.

I claim:

1. A hollow doll-head which has a head-wall, said head-wall having tear-emitting openings and a filling opening, said head having an internal hollow casing which has a rigid casing wall located around said tear-emitting openings, said filling opening having a rigid internal filling tube, a hollow housing, said housing having a rigid filling pipe connected to said filling tube, said housing 6 having a rigid outlet pipe connected to said casing, said filling pipe having a filling port in said housing, said outlet pipe having an outlet port in said housing, said housing being shaped to have a space above said ports of said pipes when said doll-head is in vertical upright position, said internal filling tube having means for preventing flow of liquid out of said head, said housing having an inlet passage.

2. A doll according to claim 1, in which said casingwall is integral with the head-wall, and said outlet pipe has an external sleeve which has a cover for said casing wall, said cover having a perforation which communicates with said sleeve and said outlet pipe.

3. A doll-head which has a front head-wall which has two eye-openings, two tear-emitting openings and a mouth opening, said front head-wall being integral with a transversely disposed inner casing-wall which extends around said tear-emitting openings, said casing-wall being open at its inner end, said front head-wall being integral at said mouth opening with a transversely disposed liquidinlet tube, a rigid housing which consists of a rigid housing body which is open at an open end thereof, a rigid housing plate which closes said open end of said housing body, said plate being integral with a hollow cylinder which is located in said housing body, said plate being also integral with a hollow air-inlet nipple which is external to said housing body, said housing body having a front housing-wall which has an integral rigid inlet pipe and an integral rigid outlet pipe which extends towards said front head-wall, said inlet pipe of said housing being located in said liquid-inlet pipe, a rigid sleeve mounted on said outlet pipe, a rigid cover for said open inner end of said casing wall fixed to said sleeve, said cover being fixed to said open inner end and having a bore which is in communication with said sleeve and said outlet pipe, said liquid-inlet tube having a one-way filling gravityvalve thereon, said liquid inlet tube having stop means for limiting the movement of said gravity-valve away from said mouth opening, a part of said housing being located above the inner ends of said pipes when said head is in vertical, upright position.

4. A hollow doll-head which has a wall which has tearemitting openings and a liquid-inlet opening, said dollhead having an internal hollow casing around said tearemitting openings, said tear-emitting openings being the outlet ports for said casing, a reservoir housing located in said head and fixed to said head, said reservoir housing having an outlet pipe connected to said casing, said reservoir housing having an inlet pipe connected to said liquidinlet opening, said reservoir housing also having an airinlet opening and a one-way valve located at said airinlet opening, said one-way valve being biased to closing position.

5. A doll-head according to claim 4, in which said pipes are rigid, said wall is the front wall of said doll-head, and said pipes extend forwardly from the same housing-wall towards the inner face of said front wall of said reservoir housing, said pipes being located below the top of the housing and below said tear-emitting openings when said doll-head is in vertical, upright position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 962,154 Lemon June 21, 1910 2,196,912 Gilbraith Apr. 9, 1940 2,675,644 Senior Apr. 20, 1954 

